'Hospital' heats up
as Sonny shoots Dante
ABC soap hits a two-year high in total viewers
By Toni Fitzgerald
Feb 12, 2010
NBC is poised to dominate daytime for the next two weeks with the Winter Olympics.
But before it assumes daytime leadership, ABC's "General Hospital" posted its best week in two years with one of those twisty storylines that always seem to buoy the soaps.
"Hospital" averaged 3.05 million total viewers for the week ended Feb. 7, according to Nielsen, its best total since February 2008. Among women 18-49, the show averaged a 1.6 rating, its best since April 2008.
It ranked second for the week in daytime in the latter, behind CBS's "The Young and the Restless."
Here's what happened: The previous week, mob boss Sonny shot an undercover cop, Dante, who had infiltrated his operations.
Unbeknownst to them, Dante was actually Sonny's son. Once this came to light, it made for some messy family business in the aftermath of the shooting.
"Hospital's" strong performance helped ABC daytime to its most-watched week since March of last year, averaging 3.06 million total viewers. Unfortunately for the network, that was still only good for third place, behind CBS's 3.85 million and NBC's 3.12 million.
Among women 18-49, ABC and NBC tied for first at 1.3, with CBS third at 1.2.
***
Meanwhile, in other daypart ratings for the week ended Feb. 7, CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” led the week among late night with 4.5 million total viewers, followed by ABC’s “Nightline” at 4.0 million and reruns of NBC’s now-defunct “Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” with 2.1 million. In late-late night, CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” each averaged 1.9 million total viewers, with NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” at 1.2 million and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” at 0.7 million. Among 18-49s, “Late Show” and “Nightline” each averaged a 1.1, with “Tonight” at a 0.9. In late-late night, “Late Late Show” and “Kimmel” each averaged a 0.6, with “Late Night” at 0.5 and “Last Call” all at a 0.3.
Note, Monday’s “Kimmel” and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s “Late Late Show” were repeats.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” was the most-watched Sunday morning show on Feb. 7 with 3.57 million tuning in, followed by CBS’s “Face the Nation” with 3.4 million, ABC’s “This Week” with 2.6 million and “Fox News Sunday” with 1.54 million. Among the 25-54 demographic, CBS averaged a 1.0 rating, with NBC at 0.8, ABC at 0.7 and Fox at 0.4.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first for the week with 5.75 million total viewers, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.68 million and CBS’s “The Early Show” at 2.83 million. “Today” averaged a 4.3 household rating and a 16 share, with “Good Morning America” at 3.5/13 and “Early Show” at 2.1/8.
In evening network news, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first with 10 million total viewers and a 2.4 rating among adults 25-54. ABC’s “World News with Diane Sawyer” averaged 8.58 million viewers and a 2.0 rating, followed by CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” with 6.48 million and a 1.6 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending Feb. 7, 2010
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
2.6 |
7 |
0.8 |
3.570
|
|
Face the Nation
|
CBS |
2.4 |
6 |
1.0 |
3.400 |
|
This Week |
ABC |
2.0 |
5 |
0.7 |
2.600 |
|
News Sunday
|
Fox |
1.1 |
3 |
0.4 |
1.540 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending Feb. 7, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
4.5 |
1.1 |
|
Nightline
|
ABC |
4.0 |
1.1 |
|
Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien* |
NBC |
2.1 |
0.9 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson* |
CBS |
1.9 |
0.6 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.9 |
0.6 |
|
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon |
NBC |
1.2 |
0.5 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly* |
NBC |
0.7 |
0.3 |
|
* “Tonight,” Monday’s “Kimmel” and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s “Late Late Show” were repeats.
Source: NTI |
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending Feb. 7, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today
|
NBC |
4.3 |
16 |
5.750 |
|
Good Morning
America
|
ABC |
3.5 |
13 |
4.680 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.1 |
8 |
2.830 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending Feb. 7, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS
|
3.85 |
1.2 |
|
NBC |
3.12 |
1.3 |
|
ABC |
3.06 |
1.3 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending Feb. 7, 2009
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
|
NBC |
2.4 |
9.995 |
|
ABC World News with Diane Sawyer
|
ABC |
2.0 |
8.577 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric
|
CBS |
1.6 |
6.478 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Jan. 31, 2009 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
7.6
|
8704
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
6.4
|
7403
|
|
3
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
5.5
|
6266
|
|
3
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
5.5
|
6333
|
|
5
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.9
|
5632
|
|
6
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.8
|
5474
|
|
7
|
CSI NEW YORK-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.0
|
4547
|
|
8
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
3.6
|
4091
|
|
8
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND
|
CTD
|
3.6
|
4188
|
|
10
|
INSIDE EDITION (AT)
|
CTD
|
3.5
|
3980
|
|
10
|
CENTURY 19
|
2/T
|
3.5
|
4004
|
|
12
|
LAW & ORDER:CI-WKL (AT)
|
NBU
|
3.3
|
3839
|
|
13
|
OFFICE-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
3.2
|
3675
|
|
14
|
DR. OZ SHOW (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.0
|
3421
|
|
14
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
3.0
|
3442
|
|
14
|
REVOLUTION 1
|
2/T
|
3.0
|
3394
|
|
17
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
2.9
|
3298
|
|
17
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
2.9
|
3293
|
|
17
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
2.9
|
3314
|
|
17
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.9
|
3325
|
|
21
|
BONES-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
2.8
|
3269
|
|
21
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND A (AT)
|
WB
|
2.8
|
3165
|
|
23
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
2.7
|
3090
|
|
23
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.7
|
3136
|
|
23
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD
|
CTD
|
2.7
|
3068
|
|
23
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
2.7
|
3151
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|
|
|
